The Alouettes players arrived in Quebec late Monday morning with the Gray Cup in their luggage.
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We had to wait for a few dozen members of the team to get off the plane on the tarmac at Mirabel Airport before Mustafa Johnson finally emerged shirtless, holding the precious trophy in his hands.
There were no fans on site, but employees of the aviation company Nolinor took care of welcoming the players and even rolled out the red carpet for them.
Most of the players stepped off the plane with grimaces but bright smiles after a victory in the final game of the Canadian Football League season, while few observers believed they had any chance of reaching the playoffs.
Despite all odds
At the start of the year, few gave the Alouettes even the slightest chance of a good season. It became fuel for the team.
“We showed the guys from the beginning that it has to happen on the field. You can set the classification any way you want, it’s between two teams on the field,” special teams coordinator Byron Archambault said on the Monday morning Mirabel Airport tarmac.
Byron Archambault Photo Agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, who won the Gray Cup as a player in 2009 and 2010, believes the team’s end to the season is the reward for all the effort put into this season.
“To finish the season with eight wins in a row in such a competitive league is a huge achievement for our players. It requires good preparation and commitment from people throughout the season.”
emotions
Brodeur-Jourdain was emotional before boarding one of the three buses that took players and staff back downtown.
“It validates the work, effort and love I have put in over the last few years. “It still makes me emotional,” he said, his voice shaking. Seeing the Alouettes return to the top of the league makes me very proud.”
Luc Brodeur-Jourdain photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
The friendly offensive coach mentioned that the team had not counted the hours to achieve this result.
“Many times at night we sleep in the stadium, at two in the morning the plane returns and we go to work because we tell ourselves that it’s not worth going home because I won’t see my children and my wife anyway. “
Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Proud
The pride was also noticeable on Marc-Antoine Dequoy’s side.
“I’ve waited my whole life to become champion. I wasn’t a CFL fan, I was a Montreal Alouettes fan. At the moment I don’t notice it because I’m on cloud nine. It’s like my bottle of happiness is full and I want to give some to everyone.”
Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
University of Montreal’s Dequoy and Archambault may have another opportunity to celebrate Saturday when the Carabins play the Vanier Cup against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in Kingston, Ontario.